1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a jet burner for planters in which the burner is provided with a combustion chamber in the form of a tubular member having a closed, rounded lower end and provided with peripheral discharge apertures for combustion products with the apertures being enclosed by a downwardly opening shield to protect the burner from adverse climate conditions thereby enabling all-weather operation and also directing hot combustion products downwardly along the outer surface of the tubular member, thereby more efficiently heating the external surface of the tubular member to facilitate its insertion through a plastic film overlying an elevated seed bed so that seeds, pre-germinated seeds, seedlings, and the like, may be deposited into the seed bed.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There has recently been developed a system of planting in which the seeds are pre-germinated before placement in a seed bed, thus shortening the maturity time for the plants involved by several weeks. In this type of system, elevated seed beds are prepared and covered with a plastic film and the planter must puncture the plastic film in order to deposit the pre-germinated seeds into the seed bed. Various types of devices for puncturing a plastic film are known, but problems still exist in providing an efficient, dependable, long-lasting and effective apparatus for forming openings through the plastic film.